The Man
by Prof. A.N. Lupin
Summary: Johns cousin wasn't anything special, but he'd be a man - a human- just for her. JimMoriarty/OC. Semi-AU, before and leading up to the Fall. Also there will be a bit of OOC-ness on Jim, seeing as he doesn't have a heart, but I've given him one.
1. Chapter 1

It was cold. Damn cold, in fact. Someone had obviously forgotten to tell London that winter was supposed to be warm this year, because the snow was falling rapidly. The snow was providing a chilling blanket (which is a bit of an oxymoron) around the city. The snow was blocking the roads, which was killing taxi travel and all other car travel. It was Monday, and everyone was having trouble getting to their jobs, which really wasn't such a bad thing, seeing as none of them liked their jobs too much. Besides, what can one little snow day hurt?

One person who didn't mind the snow was a woman named Evelynn Smithe. She didn't have anywhere to be seeing as she didn't have a job. Rather, she had a job, but didn't have an occupation. Evelynn considered writing her job, but she never sent anything to be published, and she didn't work otherwise. She was rather well off with what her parents left her (and the amount she won off the lottery last Christmas) so being out of work wasn't too much of a problem.

On this particular Monday, Evelyn was walking leisurely to her cousin's house. She really didn't have to be there, and she was sure that John wouldn't mind if she cancelled due to the weather. But she hadn't seen John in so long, never mind the fact that they lived in the same city. After about ten minutes, she arrived at 221b Baker Street.

"John!" she heard from inside. "Your cousin is here!"

"How'd you know my cousin- never mind. I'm sort of tied up, you want to get her?"

"Why should I get her?"

"I'm bleeding, Sherlock, have some decency."

There was the sound of someone coming down the stairs, and the door opened. Someone who was most defiantly not John greeted Evelynn.

He was pretty, that was for sure. He wasn't hot, really, but he was good-looking, not cute, so by default, pretty. Handsome, she supposed.

"Evelynn, John's author cousin, I presume?"

"Sherlock, Johns sociopathic flat mate, I presume?"

He narrowed his eyes at me. "John refers to me as a psychopath."

"From what I hear, you're more the 'high-functioning sociopath' type. Wanna let me in?"

He stepped aside and Evelynn was greeted a second time by an adorable old woman (who I later found out was Mrs. Hudson) who offered her tea about a thousand times before insisting that she wasn't a housekeeper. Evelynn loved her.

"Evelynn, John's upstairs. The bathroom, cleaning his hand."

"Alrighty then. See you, Mrs. Hudson."

She made my way upstairs and found John coming out of the bathroom with a freshly bandaged hand.

"Good lord, John, what did you do?"

"Eve!" he cried.

"John!"

She could hear Sherlock mumbling something along the lines of, "Sherlock!", but Evelynn highly doubted this crazy sociopath would even humor her.

"Evelynn, it's been forever, how've you been? Sherlock, don't you dare answer!"

"Fine." He grumbled.

"What- you know what, don't tell me. I'm not sure want to know. John, do you need help wrapping your hand, it's still bleeding. I though you were and army doctor!"

"I had to do it with my left hand!"

Evelynn led John into the bathroom to help him with his hand.

"Oh! Uh, anyone want to tell me why there's an assortment of limbs in the bathtub?"

"No particular reason," Sherlock piped up. "Just an experiment."

"I should stop asking questions."

"You're awful calm. Probably because you used to work with cadavers."

"I wont ask question, I wont ask questions…"

"Hold on," John interjected. "I told you, don't deduce my cousin. Besides, she hadn't worked with cadavers for years, how would you know that?"

"Questions, John." Evelynn said calmly. "Don't ask questions. You'll get weird answers when you ask weird questions."


	2. A New Pet

(A/N .God. It's been… well, ages. I'm sorry. Internet cookies?)

CHAPTER TWO

Jim Moriarty was very bored. What else was new? Jim had considered playing another game of his with Sherlock, but Sherlock had turned out to be so ordinary, it was disappointing. He was so bored that he considered shooting the wall, just like that stupid, normal, Sherlock.

Jim gazed around his house. it was extravagant, that's for sure. But he had seen it so many times that it, like everything else, was boring. It was also quiet. What if he got a pet? Then the place wouldn't be so quiet. What if he moved from the ornate house and got a cheap flat? Then there would be a change if scenery. Bettet yet, a new flat AND a pet. Jim huffed. Why was life so tedious?

Jim gazed out his window. He set his eyes on a woman, probably twenty or so, around his age, with long dirty blonde hair. She seemed to be the only one enjoying the snow outside. If Jim Moriarty was anything like those idiot normal peasants, he might say she was interesting. However, Jim wasn't a idiot normal peasant. So he'd say nothing of the sort. Jim watched the girl a little farther until she turned onto Baker Street.

Well. He never did like dogs.

Jim saw the girl the next day.

In fact, he followed her home.

It turns out that she doesn't live far from his home. Not far at all. They lived on the same street as it happens. She lived in one of the less extravagant houses. It resembled a dollhouse, and to be honest, he wouldn't be surprised to find plastic donuts on the dining room table.

"Why're you following me?"

Jim didn't respond. That would make him even more obvious.

"You there, Mr. Too-Dapper-For-Hearing! What's up?"

He finally turned to her. "Are you refering to me?"

"Yeah, you've been folloeing me since the corner, what's up?"

Jim's eyes flashed. He was good, so how did she see him? Never mind. He wanted a pet... He was determined to be normal, just for her.

"Bored." Yes, Jim. That was normal.

"Bored?"

"Bored."

Smooth, Jim.

"You sound like my cousin's flat mate." she laughed. "He turned out to be less sociopathic than I had hoped."

Now it was Jim's turn to smile. "Depressing, right?"

"Nothings worse. Listen, I've got to be off, I'm sorry."

"Alright. What's your name?"

"Evelynn Smithe. And you?"

"Richard Brooks. I'll see you around, I live just up the street."

"Goodbye, Richard Brooks."

'Richard Brooks' felt bad lying to her. Richard also thought that maybe, just maybe, Jim felt guilty for the first time in his life.

Evelynn probably didn't react properly. Generally, when someone finds out that being stalked, they don't have friendly conversation with them. Richard seemed nice, but the best stalkers do. Then again, he had admitted that hr was following her. What if this was a bluff? Double bluff?

Evelynn shook the feeling off. She must have been put off by Sherlock's experiment. It had been a long, long day. All she needed now was-

"Evelynn!" Not that. She didn't need that. Evelynn needed rest.

"Evelynn!"

"Yes, John, what could you possibly want? Why are you in my house?"

John came into view. He was limping, and out of breathe.

"Honestly, woman! Why do you have so many stairs!?"

"Why are you in my house? Is your famous 'Military Limp' back?"

"Yes, but that's not why I'm here. Sherlock said someone was following you."

"Yeah, he wasn't following for long. We had a lovely chat, and he left. How did Sherlock-"

"Chat? What do you mean?"

"We talked, I called him dapper. No biggie."

"Dapper? A dapper man was stalking you? Was he Irish?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Did he give a name?"

"Richard."

"Richard who!?"

"Richard Porter. Do you know him?"

"No." John looked put off. "I-I don't. Never mind."

Evelynn felt a bit bad for lying, but it wouldn't be so bad if she kept Richard to herself.

Right?

Jim supposed things went well. As well as things could have gone anyway. Evelynn had turned out to be interesting. She had also turned out to know Sherlock Holmes. While Evelynn didn't say so, it was unlikely that there was more than one sociopathic roommate on Baker Street, the direction from which she came. If this was true, then Evelynn was a cousin of Dr. Watson, Sherlock's lap dog. This could be very useful.

It could be. But Jim wouldn't do that to Evelynn. He wouldn't ruin this, no matter how long and tedious the process would be. If he ruined the process, he'd ruin the outcome.

What fun would that be?


End file.
